Gary M.

Noah F.

Verified review

Clearlight Video & Photography captured the best of my wedding. Lawrence is professional, kind, outgoing, curious, thoughtful, and takes the initiative to get the perfect shot. He calmly and tactfully directed our guests into the frame to get all the compositions we asked for (and more). Lawrence has a natural ability to capture real emotion and personality from strangers, such that many of our best photos are his candids. Moreover, all of our guests complimented us on his professionalism, friendliness, and ability to get people in the shot to compose good images.
Lawrence was easy to work with throughout the process. We negotiated a price easily, even though my situation was fairly unique. Lawrence also allowed me access to his RAW files, something many photographers refuse to do. When I was unable to transfer the files to my computer after the event, Lawrence made additional arrangements to ensure I received them. Lawrence even continued to work on some of my images after the event had completed and he had been paid in full, sending me his alterations gratis.
In sum, I speak for all of my guests in saying we were incredibly impressed with Lawrence's work. Measured by quality, I can see the services of Clearlight Video & Photography easily costing in excess of $2,000, especially in the Bay Area. I consider Lawrence's photography services to be the best bargain of my wedding, and give him my highest recommendation.

Christopher B.

Verified review

Brian shot our baby shower and did a wonderful job. We hosted the event in the back room of a restaurant which ended up being pretty tight but Brian managed to navigate the space and capture some really wonderful candid photos of our guests. He also took photos of my wife, dog and me at our home which we were also pleased with. I have used much more expensive photographers in the past and I would say that Brian's work stacked up well against any of them.

Amanda S.

Verified review

I interviewed about 15 photographers to try to find the perfect one and I finally did! I had a lot of specific requests that I wanted photos and video footage of many special things so that my video can turn out the way I want it to and give a specific story,both Ruben and Omar jumped in no problem! They were always around me whenever I needed and it was fast and easy to get pictures with everyone and not waste time. I can not wait to are the final product! So far the preview pictures I have got have had emotion and been beautiful! Here is a picture of my husband and dad and probably one of my favorite photos ever now! I really suggest using these guys... I have already had 3 friends from the wedding ask for their contact information! They won't disappoint!

Maia S.

Verified review

Thank you Cindy for fantastic wedding photos! My favorite part about working with Cindy is that she is professional. For me, this means several things: she was always timely with email responses throughout the process, she was prompt and ready on the day of, and her turn around time for the photos was super short! But the ultimate reason that Cindy is an amazing professional is that she is invisible! I have heard plenty of horror stories of photographers that drag the bride and groom away from the fun and make the occasion all about the pictures. Cindy was great at taking very little of our time to do couples shots. We were able to be completely present in the moment at all our events and Cindy captured them without us even knowing she was there. We have some excellent candids of friends and family as well as posed shots of the two of us. She stayed close at the beginning of the reception so that I could ask her for specific shots but she also wandered around and got a great picture of almost all 150 people at the event :) We are very happy with the pictures and the experience!

Deepika G.

Verified review

She is really awesome... We had our maternity session now and She made d shoot very friendly and we Ve got many beautiful shots... She made our experience a memorable one... Can't wait to ve our new born session... She s very adjustable with timing... Very reasonable as compared to other photographers... Would definitely use her again and recommend her...

Krishna S.

Verified review

Really wonderful to work with. Despite some unexpected hiccups with planning, Diane was on top of the game. She knew what to do and successfully redirected us to a new vista point to shoot the photos.
We are still waiting to receive the photos. But if it’s anything like her work quality up to now, I’m sure it’ll be terrific.
A real delight to work with her and have her as a part of our special moment.

Francesca K.

Verified review

We hired Boaz for stylized product still shots for our website re-launch. We had dated, tired looking photo's before and wanted something fresh and appealing, but were not exactly certain how to articulate it. We also had a tight budget. Boaz understood and went above and beyond to nail our vision. He suggested taking different "concept" images for us to choose as a template, and we are happy he did since his vision was much better than our ideas. We ended up choosing an angle and lighting he suggested as the template for all images and he had them back to us, perfectly lit, photo shopped, and gorgeous earlier than expected. He is now our official still shot photographer and we will not be using anyone else. We are that happy with his work. Highly recommend him.

Sara S.

Verified review

Jen was a pleasure to work with and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend her to anyone looking for a great Bay Area photographer. She knew her way around city hall and the civic ceremony process, which helped calm our nerves. Her directions during the photo shoot were clear, helpful, fun, and gentle. She is fantastic! Thank you so much, Jen.

Ashley G.

Verified review

If you’ve been waiting for “that one review” to really prove that Oaktown Boudoir is the way to go- don’t wait anymore! Cheshire Isaacs is a true exemplar of all that a professional boudoir photographer should strive to be. He is open and receptive to his client’s ideas without losing focus. He is honest and genuine without ever being insensitive. He is incredibly professional without ever being stuffy. The Bay Area is filled with Boudoir Photographers, so I guess the best way to write a proper review is to outline what exactly my own (popular) concerns were and how Cheshire proved triumphant!
1. Will I be comfortable? As a young woman, I was a little concerned about being erotically photographed by a man. Having been through a shoot, it’s obvious that Cheshire cares- from his personally designed music playlists (made in the interest of making the experience as comfortable as possible) to his handmade cheese and cracker platters. He continually went above and beyond for my session and I admire his passion, enthusiasm, and dedication. It shows in both his beautiful work and the long-lasting relationships he has with his clients. He spoke about his wife and daughter frequently, something that showed me his appreciation and respect for women, immediately putting me at ease.
2. Can his studio fit more than one “style” of photoshoot? Cheshire’s studio is open, bright, and filled with possibilities. He can transform the space to fit, I kid you not, any personality and style. In a matter of minutes (just enough time to refill a wine glass), his studio can go from a brightly lit angelic state to a dark, sexy, and sultry one. He mentioned having custom-designed the space alongside his wife, something that told me just how invested he was in the style and overall vibe of his studio. For my images in particular, I knew that I wanted little editing and wanted the images to be as “real” as possible. Somehow Cheshire still made it look like I was a model and knew exactly how to manipulate each pose to accentuate all the good and cleverly soften all the bad (without photoshop).
3. Will I get my money’s worth? Whichever amount of time you decide to book Cheshire for, know that not a minute will be wasted. He knows how to get down to business and not waste time while simultaneously not rushing through any poses. This guy was sweating as he climbed up and down ladders, moved heavy couches and bed sets, and adjusted lights. His hard work pays off in the beauty of his finished products! His experience in the field is obvious in the way he can quickly evaluate a pose and make small nuanced changes in position to get a desired look. I am but a poor college student and Cheshire’s prices were definitely better than most photographers around. He could easily charge three times as much for his services and would still be the deal of a lifetime.
4. Will my images be published? Cheshire was very thorough and attentive when listening to what I was comfortable with. He assured me that no images would be posted without explicit approval. In the end, his work was so beautiful that I would have been fine with it being printed on billboards and bus ads- really!
5. What about makeup? Cheshire notified me in one of our first correspondences that he had a partnership with a makeup artist, Thuy, who would be on-site for a small fee. Let me tell you- Thuy is more than simply a makeup artist- she really does it all. Not only did she do an absolutely spectacular job with my makeup, but she was the ultimate hype-woman!!! She stayed for nearly the entire session for touch-ups, glamour, and enthusiastic words of support. The experience wouldn’t have been the same without her.
Every person that sees the finished images says, “Wow, I wish I’d done something like this.” Don’t be that person! Don’t wait another day, don’t look for another review, don’t google “Boudoir Photographer” again. Oaktown Boudoir is that good.
Doing a boudoir shoot is obviously a large lump sum of money to dedicate to something that isn’t necessarily “necessary,” but my experience with Oaktown Boudoir is something that I will truly treasure for the rest of my life and always reflect on with a smile and a deep, deep appreciation for Cheshire Isaacs! He knows how to make a client feel like a friend, and that’s something you don’t come by often.

Nanette M.

Verified review

I made an appointment with Steve Fogel Photography for some headshots. The session went very well. It was enjoyable and the time spent was used efficiently. I was very happy with the end product and the pricing. I would definitely recommend Steve Fogel Photography to others who are looking for such a service.

Bob I.

Verified review

I had to do a short congratulatory video for a friend who is collecting a major award at the Cannes Festival. I come from the ad industry so I'm used to working with filmmakers, photographers etc;
I found Ilja to be totally professional, easy to work with (even when I switched the brief) and affordable. He also has a good eye for lighting and performance. Would I use him again? Absolutely.

Maria E.

Verified review

I hired Nicholas to film my Hindu wedding on a Sunday morning at Livermore two months ago. He was punctual and professional, ready with all his equipment in tow. Since there's no rehearsal for a Hindu wedding, I myself wasn't sure where he needs to stand or even go, but Nicholas was able to figure it out once in the event hall. After two weeks, we received the hard drive that held all the raw, unedited footage which is what I wanted and downloaded it onto our external drive. This took awhile for my husband and I to do, but Nicholas was extremely patient with us and reassured me it was okay to take our time.
Once every clip was downloaded, my husband and I watched the unedited footage and relived our wedding day through Nicholas' eyes and filming, and it brings tears to our eyes to see the close-up of our expressions, the traditional clothing we wore, and marriage items on the stage. Nicholas also surprised us with still photos of our day even if he wasn't our paid photographer.
In addition, the email and texting communication between Nicholas from start to end was prompt, and he was enthusiastic about filming his first Hindu wedding. I am also grateful that Nicholas worked within our budget and stayed the entire day from 9-2pm; he works for the passion of filming, and the money is secondary and I appreciated that commitment. He simply wants everything to be perfect for the bride and groom, and stress-free which it was. I would highly recommend future customers to hire Nicholas to film their special milestones in their lives.

Karin B.

Verified review

I hired Mark at Bicycle Ice Cream Films SF to create a video of my doctoral dissertation defense which was held on October 10, 2016. The audience included my dissertation committee members, fellow academic colleagues, and many friends and family members, about 25 guests in all. Working with Mark was a wonderful experience -- he is a true professional in both his craft as well as in how he works with clients. Mark is a proactive communicator, and we were able to do most of our planning via email and text which was great for me as I was preoccupied with preparing my defense presentation.
Part of the planning included conducting a site visit of the classroom in which my defense was to be held, so that Mark could assess equipment needs and determine lighting and camera placement in advance. The site visit helped us prepare as we knew that there would be a class in session in the room on the day of my defense and we would not be able to gain access to the room to set up equipment until just 15 minutes prior. So Mark needed to be able to get in, get set up, and be ready to go in a very short period of time. He suggested, and I agreed, to bring in an assistant to help with this operation, at a very reasonable rate. This was factored into his final bid to me which was very reasonable for the work and time involved.
On the day of the defense, Mark and his assistant arrived early, staged the equipment in the hall, and once we were able to enter the room, quickly got to work setting it all up. They had it all under control so I could focus on getting my projection equipment set up and my nerves settled before my presentation. Mark was unobtrusive in his filming, and he produced a good highlight reel that captured the essentials of my talk. He took still photos of the event as well, including the champagne reception after the defense after I was declared "Dr. Bauer". The event turned into a joyful celebration and Mark beautifully captured the spirit and the mood of everyone there on this important day. I was happy with all the material Mark produced and I plan to engage him to refine the video footage to create some compelling video material for my professional website.
In short, I would like to highly recommend Mark P/Bicycle Ice Cream Films SF for professional/business or documentary production needs.

Benjamin S.

Iris D.

Verified review

Hok was such a dream to work with for both our engagement and wedding photos. He is very responsive, kind, and flexible, so communication throughout the planning process was a breeze. Good communication was really important to us because we were planning our wedding from across the country! Hok also worked with our budget and we were able to get a package that was reasonably priced (and a great deal compared with other Bay Area photographers). Most importantly, Hok is a great person and his caring and thoughtfulness shows! Being someone who doesn't like photos taken of herself, I found Hok's warmth, humor, and genuine, down to earth nature very comforting and disarming. He really put us at ease. We feel so lucky to have found Hok and we highly recommend him to anyone looking to capture special moments!!

Fahira F.

Verified review

Thank you Avant-Garde for capturing the most important parts of our event!!!
Not only was our engagement beautifully photographed, the little details that most photographers leave out were not missed. His pricing is very fair and affordable.
I have him booked for my upcoming wedding in May as well.

Jhannete D.

Verified review

Frank was our photographer for our wedding at the iconic city hall in San Francisco. Working with Frank was a pleasure and we couldn't be happier with the results. The images he took of our ceremony and of us as a family in city hall are now cherished heirlooms.
Frank was professional throughout the entire process, he was the first person to arrive at city hall (he was early) and he took a creative approach throughout, not only taking photos of the ceremony but he also took beautiful shots of the the environment and candid photos of our family going with us through the whole process. Upon completion of the ceremony Frank promptly shared with us the results which included not only the raw camera files, but a complete set of color corrected and edited photos. The results are stunning.
I highly recommend working with Frank should you need a photographer.
Jhanette,
Oakland, CA

Jen G.

Verified review

I can't say enough wonderful things about Radostina Photography. Not only is she the most talented photographer I've ever met, but she also is extremely punctual and is willing to control crowds to get the shot. She photographed our engagement pictures and wedding pictures and for both shots she was absolutely amazing! She even photographed us with our dogs and she was able to capture each of their personalities amazingly. All in all, I will be hiring her for every milestone in my life because her work is truly breathtaking. You'll be lucky if you hire her for your event! You will NOT be disappointed!